


Lives Unraveled

by PullTogether



Series: PullTogether's Zootopia Fanfic Collection [3]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-16 15:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7274422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PullTogether/pseuds/PullTogether
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did a single conversation in a coffee shop between a rabbit and a fox change the world so much?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Writer’s note:** Even though this story could be read as a standalone work, I feel readers should read my previous two stories ( _ Never Time to Say Goodbye _ and  _ Burdens of the Son _ ) first to fully appreciate it.

  
  
  


_ All it takes is a single ember to start a forest fire. But what if the winds of change never have a chance to fan that ember into flames? A single cup of icy water, poured on the right place at the right time, and the forest remains untouched. _

 

Nick slurped his drink noisily before he spoke. “Tell me again, why do we keep hanging out at this place?”

Judy looked around the coffee shop while she spoke. “Because you hate that tiny closet I call home that has noisy neighbors and no TV?”

Nick nodded. “It’s true. But you never want to hang out--”

Judy interrupted him. “And, since you always forget, I hate your place because it’s also a tiny closet that takes forever to get to on transit. Plus you’re the world’s biggest slob.”

“Ok Ok… but,” Nick subtly indicated a nearby table, “why do you think those two always come here?”

Judy watched the porcupine and lynx for a minute out of the corner of her eye. The porcupine smiled at the lynx when he leaned in close and whispered to her.

Judy shrugged before she spoke hesitantly. “I dunno.“

 

_ But Judy did know. The coffee shop was close to ZPD headquarters, and always had a constant stream of officers coming and going. It wasn’t likely anyone would make a fuss about an interspecies couple there.  _

_ Judy worried what Nick might say if she pointed that out. So she went against her nature, as she gave in to fear and feigned ignorance instead. _

 

Judy watched the two hold each other’s paws in their own. “Do you think they’re a… couple?”

Nick eyed her and took a bite from his blueberry muffin. “Is that so hard to believe?”

She took a sip of her drink and her ears drooped. “I guess I can’t imagine dating anyone who wasn’t a rabbit. And I’m not even sure how they even make… things… work. Aren’t they afraid of hurting themselves, or their partner? Besides, I want to have kids someday.”

 

_ The tiny ember, so small that neither the rabbit nor the fox had noticed it, faded and went out. Judy felt ashamed of what she’d said, and Nick wasn’t sure why he felt disappointed, so he did what he always did when his feelings bothered him. _

 

Nick laughed. ”What, you’d let a few quills and claws stand in the way of true love, Carrots? And as for kids, they could always adopt.”

“A predator-prey adoption… huh, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that happening before.”

Nick finished his coffee. ”You know, Officer Fluff, some mammals just enjoy each other’s company, without making things complicated.”

“Like us?”

Nick grinned. “Of course. What would you do without my good advice and our witty conversations? Besides, I’m glad you keep me from wasting my time and money on a girlfriend.”

 

_ Judy pondered Nick’s words, and then she felt terrible. She didn’t want to be the cause of his unhappiness. Finding the right mammal for him would be tough, but she never shied away from a challenge. She also thought a cute vixen might be just the incentive he needed to clean up his apartment. _

_ It took a few months, but she finally stumbled on a way to fix something she mistakenly thought she’d broken. _

 

Nick and Judy made their way across the ZPD lobby as they hurried to the morning briefing.

“Everyone has a tell, sweetheart,” Nick smirked when Judy looked at him doubtfully.

“Take Bogo for example. When he’s about to deliver bad news at a press conference or in the bullpen, he always takes his glasses off first.” Judy leaned in to listen while Nick spoke softly. “And if he puts them in his front pocket before he talks, look out.”

“Oh yeah, what about me?”

Nick laughed and stopped walking so he could slap his knee and grin at her. “Carrots, when it comes to tells, you’re an open book.”

Judy moved with lightning speed and whacked him hard on the arm.

“Ow!” Nick wailed, as he put on his  _ oh so sad, I’m such an abused fox _ face.

“What, you couldn’t  _ tell _ what I was about to do?”

She chuckled and pushed open the large door before she marched ahead of Nick into the crowded bullpen.

Nick smiled and followed her. “Sly bunny.” He spoke while they walked to their usual seat. “Wanna make a bet on it? Bogo’s tell, I mean?”

Judy looked at him skeptically, then her face brightened. She whispered back, “only if I get to pick the stakes.” She hopped onto the chair and he clambered up beside her.

Nick studied her cheerful face carefully for a few moments, before he rolled his eyes. “Ok, fine. What do you have in mind?”

“Loser has to set the other up with a blind date.”

Nick snorted and laughed, causing several other officers to stop what they were doing and look at him.

He waited for everyone to go back to ignoring him before he bent close to her face and whispered, “Are you serious? Even when I win that bet, I’ll still lose.”

“If… if you win. Are you afraid I might actually set you up with someone you’ll like, with my crazy bunny matchmaking powers?”

“Pffft, seriously? Ok, I’ll tell you what. In addition, the loser has to buy the winner blueberry muffins for a week,” Judy raised an eyebrow and frowned, until Nick added, “or the carrot themed treat of her choice.”

Judy looked thoughtful for a moment. “I gotta admit, I’m terrified of who you might match me up with if I win. We have to have rules about the species of our dates, and we need a time limit on the bet.”

Nick nodded. “Trust me, you’ll see I’m right within 48 hours, or I’ll forfeit and you win. And… I agree. Only dates within our respective families are allowed. In other words, Canidae for me, and  Leporidae for you. No setting me up with an angry wolverine or anything like that.”

Judy giggled. “Deal,” she said as she shook his paw.

 

_ As luck would have it, that very day Chief Bogo took off his glasses right before he stuck them both with night patrol for the next few days, to cover for Delgato and Snarlof. Nick’s gloating didn’t last long when Judy revealed who his date would be, and where he would meet her. _

_ A week later, Judy put her plan into action when they went on vacation together. _

 

Nick sighed and stared out the window of the train. “How did I get hustled by a dumb bunny? This doesn’t feel like I won at all.”

“Oh quit your whining. You already got a week of free blueberry muffins, and now I get to invite you home with me so you can see Bunnyburrow and meet Kaitlyn.”

“Like I said… look, going to some carrot festival wasn’t part of the deal. And you promised you’d pick a fox for my date.” Suddenly Nick looked alarmed. “Wait, she isn’t eighty years old and toothless, is she?”

Judy laughed. “Wow, now I wish I’d thought of that. No, she’s your age, and a rather beautiful vixen, so just relax.”

“There has to be something wrong with her.”

Judy thought for a moment before she responded. “Well, she did agreed to go on a date with you…“ Nick crossed his arms and slouched in the seat as she continued. “So, besides your tacky hawaiian shirts, what were you planning on wearing?”

“Alas, you wound me, Carrots. I’ve packed the perfect ensembles to impress any vixen, thank you very much.” Nick turned to leer at her. “And what about you, my dear bunny? Anything new to show off that little bunny tail to… what was the name of that rabbit your parents wanted you to meet… Irvin, I think?”

Judy’s ears burned bright red as she bounded out of her seat. “Oh look, we’re here!”

Nick glanced out the window of the train before he stood up. “I’m glad you told me, Carrots, because I don’t see anything besides a tiny train station to indicate we’ve arrived anywhere.”

 

_ Nick was surprised at how much Mr. and Mrs. Hopps fussed over him, making sure his room was comfortable and that he had everything he needed. By the end of the first day, the fox had adjusted to the constant commotion all around him while hundreds of rabbits somehow managed to keep the household and farm running smoothly. _

_ Nick and Judy didn’t see each other much the first week, since they spent most of their time getting to know Kaitlyn and Irvin respectively. Nick liked Kaitlyn, though he was jaded enough that he didn’t expect much beyond several enjoyable days in the company of a beautiful vixen. _

_ Judy, on the other paw, was pleasantly surprised at how much she liked Irvin. _

_ The day finally arrived for the two couples to go to dinner together. Nick had brought a rented a tuxedo with him, mostly to keep Judy from complaining, and Judy wore a flowing dress that she’d spent too much money on. _

 

Nick looked at himself in the hallway mirror as Judy quietly walked up behind him and spoke. “Wow, at the risk of making your already inflated head even bigger, I have to admit you look really nice tonight, Nick.”

He turned to look at Judy and whistled. “Same to you, Carrots. Teal is definitely your color.” 

Her ears blushed pink as she twirled in a circle to show off her dress. “Think he’ll like it?”

Nick winked at her before he looked in the mirror again and adjusted his tie. “He’ll be putty in your paws, Carrots.” He turned again and looked at her. “You’re really falling for this guy, aren’t you?” Nick grinned mischievously. “It’s because he has red fur, isn’t it?”

Judy rolled her eyes. “Oh please. No, it isn’t that. He… well, he isn’t like any other bunny I’ve met before. Most rabbits are so timid and boring. But he’s travelled around the world. He’s not afraid to see new places and try new things.” Judy paused for a moment before she continued. “Coming back home got me thinking. For all their faults, I have to admit my parents really do love each other. Is it so bad that I want that too?”

“Of course not, Judy. Just don’t rush into anything, ok? I mean, you’ve only known him for, what, a week?”

Judy’s nose twitched and she looked up at him. “You sound just like my brother. He told me the exact same thing earlier.”

“You should listen to him. He sounds pretty smart, for a bunny.”

“Yeah, well, just promise me you won’t get all weirdly overprotective tonight.”

“Don’t worry, Jude the Dude,” he said before he reached out and ruffled her ears. “I just want you to know, I’ve got your back.”

She frowned and swatted his paw away. “Oh for Pete’s sake, don’t call me that, Nick.”

 

_ At dinner, Nick chatted with Kaitlyn, seeming to give the vixen his full attention, though he surreptitiously kept an eye on Irvin. Nick noticed how Irvin complimented Judy, and “accidentally” brushed against her all through dinner… this guy knew how to keep a lady’s attention. Which was fine, until Nick also noticed how Irvin’s gaze lingered on the bunny waitress just a little too long, and how he watched her walk away while Judy obliviously laughed at the last thing he’d said. _

_ Nick’s concerns were confirmed later as he stepped out of the bathroom to catch Irvin standing a bit too close to the waitress, out of sight of their table. When Irvin noticed Nick, he hopped away from her, with a smudge of lipstick and a guilty look on his face. How dare he play with Judy’s feelings like this? And how in the world did Judy not notice? _

_ Nick wanted to beat Irvin senseless right then and there, but decided he should talk to Judy first. Unfortunately, before he got the chance, she snuck off with Irvin when Nick went to pay the check. _


	2. Chapter 2

Rabbit couples swirled across the dance floor as Judy swayed to the music while she sat on a bench and waited for Irvin. When Nick arrived, he quickly scanned the room and finally spotted Judy. He wended his way through the rabbits to stand next to her.

Nick looked down at Judy and folded his arms. “There you are, Carrots. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Judy looked up at him and giggled. Nick frowned as he leaned forward and sniffed her. “Have you been drinking?”

“I’m not as think you drunk as I am.” Judy froze when she realized what she’d just said, before she laughed hysterically.

Nick’s frown deepend. “Yeah… you know, I think I need to take you home.”

“Oh come on, Nick. Irvin promised me we could go for a walk later--”

“Yeah, I bet he did. Let me guess, he wanted to go someplace romantic and secluded, after he’d loaded you up with a few drinks?”

She blushed and looked down at her feet.

Nick sighed and took her paw as he pulled her towards the exit. “Come on, Judy. We need to talk.”

 

_ But the talk would have to wait, since Judy fell asleep in the backseat of her brother’s car on the long ride home. She woke up in her bed the next morning with the worst headache she’d ever had. She was angry with Nick, until he told her what he’d seen in the restaurant. She still didn’t want to believe him, until one of her sisters told her that Irvin had left the dance with another bunny last night. _

 

Judy leaned against the wall outside the bathroom. “I’m sorry Nick, I’m such an idiot.”

Nick spoke to her from inside the bathroom. “It’s true.”

“You’re supposed to be consoling me, you heartless jerk.” Judy frowned at Nick as he came out of the bathroom, until he handed her a glass of water and two aspirin. She smiled weakly before she popped the tablets in her mouth and washed them down. “Well, at least this trip hasn’t been a total waste of time. You like Kaitlyn, right?”

Nick fidgeted for a few moments before he answered. “Yeah… well. She’s nice, but… “ he trailed off.

“But what?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think she appreciates my sense of humor. Also I may have made a crack about making sure I planned to avoid messing up my kids by never having any, and that didn’t go over too well. We don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to offspring, and she’s in a real hurry to have a few kits.”

Judy looked glumly at Nick. “How would you feel about going back to Zootopia early?”

Nick grinned. “I’ll pack my bags while you find someone to give us a ride to the station.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Sometimes my parents drive me crazy. I wish they’d just butt out of my personal life.” Judy looked at Nick. “What about your parents?”

Nick quietly looked out the train window and watched the countryside fly by for several moments before he spoke. “I don’t know or care where my dad is, and I haven’t talked to my mom in over a year.”

Judy’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Nick shrugged. “I’ve been meaning to go talk to Ma, but, well…” He sighed. “Look, it’s complicated. I feel bad because of how often I’ve disappointed her.”

Judy smiled and put a paw on his shoulder. “Well, you still have a few days off before we go back to work. Why not see her tomorrow?”

“Actually, Carrots, that’s a good idea.”

“You’re not just saying that to keep me from bugging you about her, are you?”

Nick laughed. “No, seriously. Your crazy parents gave me a new appreciation for my mom. Really, I’m gonna go see her tomorrow. I promise.”

 

_ During the rest of the train ride, Nick told Judy a little bit about his mom, but he adamantly refused to discuss his dad at all. Judy felt bad that things hadn’t worked out between him and Kaitlyn, but she did feel that talking Nick into patching things up with his mom was a nice consolation prize. _

 

Holding a bouquet of flowers, Nick knocked on the worn wooden door of a shabby little home tucked behind an older tenement building. He knocked again and waited for several minutes, before he pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

He paused uncertainly in the open doorway and took his sunglasses off, hanging them on his shirt pocket as he peered down the dark hallway. “Ma?” He walked down the hallway and past the kitchen, before he spoke again. “Ma, are you here?”

He entered the dining room, where he found his mother lying unconscious on the floor.

 

_ Nick called for an ambulance after he felt her wrist to check her fluttering pulse. He tried to make her comfortable with blankets and pillows while he nervously waited for the paramedics to arrive. _

_ A few hours later at the hospital, Nick sat next to his still unconscious mom and held her paw. She lay in bed, hooked up to beeping machines and an IV. _

_ Nick was solemnly watching the elderly vixen’s face when Judy arrived. She put the flowers she carried on a nearby table and hugged Nick. They talked quietly for a few minutes before a few more surprise visitors showed up. _

_ Two mammals entered the room after tentatively knocking first. Nick introduced Judy to Rita, the elephant who lived near his mom and had been a family friend since he was a kit, and a pretty vixen named Sally, a friend of his mom’s. Sally blushed and chided Nick, saying she hoped she was his friend, too. _

_ Nick explained to everyone that the doctors hadn’t given his mother a good prognosis. He talked without emotion, but Judy could see the turmoil in his eyes while he spoke. She watched Rita and Sally both try to console him, but he shrugged them off, saying he was fine and that they should worry about his mom instead.  _

_ The four mammals visited for awhile, before Rita and Sally decided they should go. They told Nick to keep them updated, and made him promise to call them first thing tomorrow. Nick hugged Rita and thanked them for coming. Sally kissed Nick on the cheek and hugged him before they left. _

 

Nick held his mom’s paw as Judy spoke. “Rita seems nice.”

Nick nodded. “When I was a kit, she used to watch me when my mom worked. She treated me like a son. Which is probably why she didn’t approve of my… creative employment history any more than Ma did.”

“So… how do you know Sally?”

Nick smiled wryly. “I think my mom knew her mom. Ma tried to fix me up with Sally, back when she still had fantasies of getting a few grandkits someday.”

Judy waited. “And?”

He shrugged. “And what?

Judy shook her head. “You’re hopeless… she obviously likes you. Just make sure you get her phone number, ok?”

Nick yawned. “Right. Thanks for the tip, Miss busybody matchmaker bunny, but I already have it. Now why don’t you hop along home and get some sleep?”

Judy stood up and hugged Nick, and he hugged her back with his free arm, without looking away from his mother’s face. Judy let go of Nick and said, “Call me if you need anything, and give me an update if anything changes, ok?”

Nick nodded. “Sure thing, Carrots. Goodnight.”

  
_ A few hours later, the elderly vixen slipped silently away. After the nurse wheeled her body out the door, Nick wept alone. _


	3. Chapter 3

_ When Nick finally got his emotions under control, he made all the necessary arrangements for his mother’s body before he took a cab home. He tossed and turned all night, his mind too awake to sleep and his body too exhausted to do anything else. _

_ The next morning, Judy was furious that he hadn’t called her immediately after his mom passed away. He deflected her anger by saying he’d been busy filling out paperwork and hadn’t felt like talking to anyone anyway. _

_ Three days later, Nick was surprised to see so many officers at the funeral. He was glad, because otherwise the service attendance would have been pretty sparse. It felt weird to Nick, seeing everyone out of uniform, especially Chief Bogo. The Chief told Nick to take a few weeks off, or more if he needed it. _

 

Judy stood next to Nick while several mammals waited to give him their condolences. “Thanks for coming, Ben.” Nick shook Clawhauser’s paw as the cheetah sniffled before he pulled the fox into a crushing hug. “Urgh… not so tight. It’s ok, big guy,” Nick patted the cheetah on the back and looked at Judy imploringly.

Judy came to his rescue, grabbing one of Clawhauser’s arms and pulling him away. Nick mouthed a silent  _ thank you _ to Judy while she led the blubbering cheetah off to follow the last of the ZPD officers walking to their cars.

Nick smiled up at Rita when she stepped forward and pulled him in for a hug with her trunk. “Hi, Rita. Thanks for coming.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it, Nick. You and your mom are like family to me.” She leaned in and spoke quietly. “It’s ok to cry, you know.”

Nick shrugged. “I’m all cried out, I guess.”

Rita shook her head. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

 

_ Rita walked away to make room for Sally when she came to speak to Nick. The vixen tried to get him to open up, but Nick withdrew and slipped on the face he always wore, the comfortable mask of snarky humor he used to hide his true feelings from the world. _

_ After they talked for a few minutes, she was able to finally convince Nick to let her help him empty his mom’s house. Nick wanted to sell it quickly, and he knew he could use the extra help, even if it came at a price. _

 

Nick surveyed the bedroom and his tail drooped. “This house… it’s a minefield of regrets for me. The sooner I can clear it out and sell it, the better.”

Sally, who was emptying a nearby dresser, looked at him and spoke. “So you’re going to sell the house because you can’t deal with your emotions?”

He turned to give the vixen a puzzled look. “What? No, my emotions have nothing to do with it. Look, it’s a big house, and it’s just me. I don’t need the extra hassle right now anyway.”

Sally came over and put her paw on Nick’s arm.

“What if you want to ever, you know, settle down? It’s crazy, but it could happen someday, right?”

Nick pulled away from her and picked up a small box from the dresser before he sat on the bed. He opened the box and stared at the contents.

Sally nervously looked down at her feet. “Sorry, it’s none of my business.”

Nick sighed. “No, I’m sorry.” He smiled at her. “Thanks for helping me, Sally.”

Sally went back to emptying the dresser as Nick dug through the box filled with thread, thimbles, and other miscellaneous sewing items until he jabbed his paw on an oversized straight pin with a little carrot head. He frowned and shook his paw before he closed the box.

Nick looked at Sally. “I remember the costume I begged my mom to make for me when I was just a little kit. I said I wanted to be an elephant, just like Rita.”

Sally smiled at Nick. “That sounds so cute… do you still have it?”

Nick nervously looked at the box in his paw. “Oh, it’s probably around here somewhere. I never did tell Ma that I wanted to wear it when I went for walks with Rita, so the other mammals wouldn’t know that I was a fox.”

The vixen paused and stared at Nick, her mouth agape. She started to speak, but Nick interrupted her and held out the box.

“Do you want any of this sewing stuff?” She smiled weakly before she nodded and took the box from him.

 

_ Several months later, at the end of summer when things were slow at the ZPD,  _ _ Chief Bogo assigned Nick and Judy to work with the second precinct to help with some missing mammal cases. Two foxes had disappeared in the past two weeks, and evidence indicated that the first fox to go missing, Edward “Eddie” Escurro, was a known associate of Nick’s dad, John Wilde. Neither Eddie nor John seemed to be connected to the second missing fox, as far as anyone could tell. _

_ As Judy and Nick poured over the missing mammal case files, she knew something was bothering him. Since he and Sally had been dating for a few months, Judy had a pretty good idea that it had something to do with the vixen. She also knew that directly asking him would be pointless. If she could figure out a way to bring up the issue indirectly, she might get him to talk.  _

 

Judy looked up from the case file she was reading when Nick put a cup of coffee on the conference room table in front of her. “Thanks. Hey, we haven’t hung out in ages, since you’ve been pretty busy selling the house. Maybe we could all go out to dinner after work sometime this week? I want you both to meet someone.”

Nick put his coffee cup on the table before he sat down and spoke. “Really? Uhh… well, you see, Sally and I aren’t… together anymore.”

“You broke up with Sally? What happened?”

Nick shrugged. “The usual. So, tell me about this guy you met.”

Judy gave Nick an annoyed look before she continued. “Ok… yeah, he’s a rabbit named Wil. I met him at that talk I gave at the high school a few weeks ago--”

“Wow, you’re so desperate that you’ve started trolling high schools for dates?”

Judy rolled her eyes. “No, you dumb fox, he’s my age. His younger brother, Henry, goes to the school. Wil has been raising his siblings ever since their parents passed away. At least I know he’s good with kids, since Henry seems ok.”

“Why are you so obsessed with finding a guy who likes kids, when you don’t plan on having any?”

“I’ve told you a million times, I want kids, eventually. Just not right now.”

“What about his siblings, don’t they count?”

“This is… different, I guess? I’ve never dated anyone with kids before.” Judy looked puzzled for a moment before she smiled. “On the bright side, I can evaluate his parenting skills firsthand.”

Nick chuckled and shook his head. “You’re quite the romantic bunny, Carrots.”

 

_ Later that day, Nick and Judy found out a third fox named James had been reported missing. _

_ Over the next few days, while several officers from the second precinct pursued leads on the other two foxes, Nick and Judy chased down leads on Eddie and John. With the help of Mr. Big, they created a list of mammals who might have a vendetta against either of the foxes or who might know where they were. Put together with their rap sheets, the list of mammals to find and question about Eddie’s disappearance was almost as long as Nick’s arm.  _

_ One morning, Nick drove the cruiser to the second precinct while Judy sorted through the list. _

 

Judy shook her head. “Wow, your dad was really good at pissing off mammals, wasn’t he?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, it’s one of the many endearing traits he passed on to me.”

“Wait, did you just make a joke about your dad?”

“Forget it, Carrots. I still don’t want to talk about him.”

Judy put the list into a brown satchel before she pulled out a letter and opened it. Her nose twitched while she read. “Aww, my mom wrote that my Great Uncle Stan passed away.”

Nick nodded again. “Sorry to hear that, Carrots.”

Judy shrugged. “It’s ok, I didn’t know him that well. In a family as big as mine, we get these kinds of letters pretty regularly, almost as often as we get birth announcements.”

Nick chuckled, and Judy read the letter aloud. “Great Uncle Stan died peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family…” Her ears drooped and she trailed off. Judy put the letter back in the envelope and returned it to the satchel.

Nick ignored her reaction for several moments before he sighed and said, “What’s wrong Carrots?”

“Oh, it’s just the letter reminded me… I was going to tell you that Wil and I broke up.”

Nick glanced at her. “I’m sorry, Judy. That didn’t last long, did it?”

“Yeah, well you know how impatient I am. I don’t just rush into relationships… I guess I’m always in a hurry to get to the end of them, too.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me why you broke up with Sally.”

Nick snorted and sat silently while Judy tried not to smile.

Several minutes later, Nick said, “Fine. If it’ll make you talk about your dumb bunny feelings, so we can get it over with… “ He sighed loudly before he continued. “I was such a jerk to her, when she only wanted to get close to me. Also, she kept pressuring me to move in with her. And of course, she wants to have lots of kits right away. Same old song, different day. There, are you happy now?”

“Did you try talking to her? You know, tell her how you feel?”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah… of course. But every time we talked, we ended up chasing our tails and having the same arguments over and over.” They sat in silence for several minutes before Nick said, “We’re really terrible at this, aren’t we?”

Judy smiled wanly. “Luckily we’ve got some missing foxes to distract us from our sad little love lives.”

Nick’s ears flattened against his head. “They’re probably just hiding from angry vixens or something.”

Judy shook her head and scolded him. “Real positive attitude you’ve got there, Nick.”

The fox grinned at her. “I’m just trying to get it into your little bunny head that I’m a chronic loner, so you’ll stop trying to fix me up with vixens. Besides, you’ve got your own relationship problems to deal with. Speaking of which, why did you and Wil break up?”

“I caught him cheating on me.”

Nick frowned. “Oh brother. I spilled my guts for that? You sly bunny.”

Judy laughed and stuck her tongue out at Nick. “Well, if you weren’t so emotionally constipated, I wouldn’t have to trick you into talking to me about this stuff all the time.”

“Dumb emotional bunnies.”

Judy folded her arms and frowned. “Stupid emotionally stunted foxes.”

They glared at each other for a moment, before they both looked away as they tried to hide their smiles from each other.

 

_ They narrowed the list down to mammals known to still be in Zootopia and spent the rest of the day turning over rocks to see if they could find out more about Eddie. _

_ After they finished chasing down a series of dead ends, they heard that the body of the second fox who went missing had been found. Judy worried for the rest of the day and into the night. She hugged Nick and told him to be careful when he dropped her off before he returned the cruiser to headquarters. _

_ Nick was so tired he had a hard time keeping his eyes open on the train ride home. He finally arrived at the rundown hotel, an aging brick building that had been converted to tiny apartments sometime before he was born. _

 

Nick crossed the dilapidated lobby and walked past the broken elevator before he climbed the stairs to the third floor. He stepped out of the stairwell and froze. Something smelled… different. He sniffed, but the scent was faint.

As he walked past a darkened hallway, a figure charged out of the shadows and swung a pipe at his head. Nick jumped back and raised his right arm, which took the brunt of the blow as the pipe slammed into him with a sickening crunch.

With a startled yelp, Nick fell backward and his head smashed into the wall. He opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he tried to focus on the badger standing over him. He thought he heard angry shouting before the badger hit him again and everything went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

_ Nick crept through the tall grass on all fours as he sniffed the ground. His prey was near, he could smell it. _

_ He froze when he saw a tiny movement in the nearby grass. His muscles tensed, ready to spring at the dark outline with long ears that quivered ever so slightly. _

_ The smell of smoke filled the air before the fox saw the fire. Nick looked behind him to see the conflagration burn across the plains at terrifying speed, animals of all shapes and sizes fleeing before it. Some were too slow, turning into writhing balls of flame as the inferno engulfed them. _

_ The fox and rabbit simultaneously turned and fled, predator and prey ignoring each other while they ran for their lives. Nick bounded forward, faster than he’d ever run before, the flames licking at his heels. The grass abruptly ended and Nick plunged headlong into a sea of dark water. _

_ He swam away from the shore for a few moments before he paused and stood up on two legs in the chest deep water. Something was… missing. He slowly turned to peer back at the shore he’d just left, finding it untouched, with no hint of the fire. Nick looked around frantically, searching, until he realized that it wasn’t something that was missing, but someone… _

 

Nick bolted upright and shouted, “Judy!”

He had a hard time seeing at first, but his vision cleared and he found himself in a hospital bed. Judy was sitting in a chair next to him, a startled look on her face.

She jumped forward and hugged him. “Sweet cheese and crackers, Nick, you scared the hell out of me.”

He inhaled sharply and grimaced, causing Judy to pull away. “Careful there, Carrots. My ribs are killing me.” He looked at the IV in his left arm before he noticed that his right arm was in a cast.

“Oh Nick, I’m so sorry.” She sat down in the chair. “I was so worried about you.”

Nick collapsed back into the bed, the dream fading into the foggy recesses of his mind. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his left paw to ease the dull throbbing that even painkillers couldn’t completely mask. “You worry too much, Fluffbutt.”

Judy folded her arms and scowled at him. “I thought I told you to be careful, you dumb fox.”

Nick smiled. “I never did listen very well. How long was I out?”

“Just a few hours. It’s a good thing you have such a thick skull. The doctor said that badger hit you pretty hard.”

His eyes jolted open and he looked at Judy. “What happened? Did you catch him?”

Judy shook her head. “Your neighbor scared him away, a bear with the last name… Ursus, I think?”

Nick shrugged. “I don’t really know my neighbors.”

“Wait, you know everyone, and you’re telling me you don’t even know the bear that lives right next to you?”

“The kinds of mammals that live in my building tend to keep to themselves.”

 

_ An investigative officer arrived, a tiger from the second precinct. Judy fidgeted as Nick described the attack. Nick didn’t recognize the badger, and he had no idea why he was attacked. The tiger wanted to bring in a sketch artist, but Nick insisted he didn’t get a good look at the badger. The investigator kept insisting that Nick try to remember anything helpful, and Judy could see that Nick was really starting to get annoyed when he had to repeat what little he recalled. _

 

The tiger waited, pen and paper at the ready. “Just tell me whatever you remember about the attacker. A description… anything?” 

Nick looked at the ceiling as he spoke. “Ok… well, let’s see. Long and thin and… made out of metal I think? Oh, and some badger was trying to use it to bash in my skull.”

The tiger sighed. “Ok, I get it, you didn’t get a good look at him.”

Nick nodded. “Finally.” He continued speaking while the tiger moved to leave. “Next time I get attacked, I’ll remember to ask my assailant to have coffee and donuts with me afterward so I can get a better look at him.”

The tiger gave Nick an annoyed look before he spoke to Judy and handed her a business card. “If he remembers anything, let me know.”

After the tiger left, Judy said, “geez Nick, you didn’t have to give him such a hard time.”

“Sorry, I think the painkillers are wearing off.”

“Want me to get the nurse?”

Nick pondered this for a moment when the nurse, a rhino, barged in. Nick grinned. “Speak of the devil.”

The nurse spoke while she checked the back of the IV bag she was carrying and compared it to the patient bracelet on Nick’s left wrist. “Do I know you fox? I can’t tell all you little furry animals apart.”

Nick and Judy both stared at the rhino with their mouths hanging open in shock. The nurse snorted and said, “I’m just kidding. We don’t get many foxes in here. Most of them are smart enough to stay healthy, I guess.”

Judy giggled while Nick looked annoyed. “Your bedside manner is atrocious,” he said as he laid his ears back.

The nurse laughed and waved the IV bag at him. “Oh, you won’t care after I’ve swapped this in.” She deftly exchanged it for the empty one and hung it back up on the IV pole.

The nurse cackled and dropped a stack of paperwork on the table next to Nick’s bed. “Fill that out when you get the chance, fox.” The rhino winked at Judy. “Watch out, bunny. I’ve got a feeling this fox is trouble.” 

After the rhino left, Judy’s expression softened and she put her paw on Nick’s arm. “Seriously, though, are you ok? When you woke up earlier, you looked pretty freaked out.”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, I was just having a weird dream. Anyway, I’m glad you’re here.” He held out his right arm. “Since I can’t write, think you can help me fill out some paperwork?”

Judy chuckled and shook her head. “If you think you can get out of doing paperwork by breaking your arm, you better think again, Slick Nick.”

She paused as she reached for the paperwork, and her ears folded down against her head. “There is one thing I need to talk to you about first, though. They found the body of the third missing fox a few hours ago.”

Nick swallowed nervously. “Still no sign of Eddie?”

Judy shook her head. “Nope.”

 

_ As a precaution, Chief Bogo placed a guard on Nick’s room. Until they could be certain the attack was unrelated to the other missing foxes, the Chief wasn’t taking any chances. _

_ Judy came back late the next night to visit Nick after her shift ended. Normally Judy wouldn’t be able to see Nick after visiting hours were over, but since she was wearing her uniform the nurse believed her when Judy said she was there to guard Nick. She’d make sure to at least relieve whoever was on duty for a few minutes so technically it wouldn’t be a lie. _

 

Judy made her way through the nearly empty waiting room. In one corner a raccoon sat reading a newspaper, while on the other side of the room two wolves talked to each other quietly.

Judy walked past the nurses’ station and down the hall, where she spotted an elephant officer from the first precinct, Francine, sitting on a large bench outside Nick’s room. She nodded at Judy and stood up when she got closer.

The elephant looked at Judy uncomfortably. “Could you, uhh, stay here for a bit while I use the restroom? I need to find one in the other wing, since the ones over here are too small for my… needs.”

Judy smiled. “Sure thing. I guess sometimes there are advantages to being a small mammal.”

Francine laughed. “Yeah, I suppose so. Thanks, Judy. I’ll be right back.”

 

_ Several minutes after Francine left, Judy was waiting outside Nick’s door when she heard someone talking loudly in the waiting room. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She moved to get a better view of the nurses’ station and saw an elderly male fox wearing a dark coat and carrying a cane speaking to a nurse. _

_ Judy watched the fox turn away from the nurse and shuffle to the elevator. He pressed the down button, and the doors opened. He stepped into the elevator, and the two wolves and raccoon jumped up from their seats and filed in behind him. When the doors started to close, the raccoon locked eyes with Judy as one of the wolves slammed the fox to the ground. _

 

Judy reacted instantly. She raced towards the stairs adjacent to the elevator while she pulled out her radio and spoke. “Francine, I need you back at Nick’s room right now. This is Officer Hopps calling in a code 242 in progress. Victim is an elderly fox, assailants are two wolves and a raccoon, all currently in the elevator closest to Officer Wilde’s room and heading down. Notify hospital security, I’m in pursuit.”

  
  


_ Judy was a gray blur as she raced the elevator down the stairs. She knew she’d arrived at the ground floor before the elevator did since she could still hear it moving. Judy drew her tranq gun, though she didn’t think to proceed with caution when she burst through the door at the bottom of the stairs. The rabbit barely had time to register the terrible mistake she’d made before a metal pipe caught her square in the side and slammed her into a nearby wall. _


	5. Chapter 5

Nick barely registered that the tiger was speaking to him. “Tell me if you recognize anything from the security footage.” The fox couldn’t tear his eyes away from the laptop as he watched the video of the badger talking on his cellphone before he walked over to the door to stand and wait, holding something in his paws that Nick was all too familiar with.

Nick’s voice shook, his grim demeanor a stark contrast to his words. “Well, the pipe he’s got looks familiar.” When the badger raised the pipe, Nick’s ears flattened against his head. He flinched when Judy burst through the door and the badger swung and hit her. The pipe caught her directly on her belt, crushing her radio and ricocheting off the edge of her vest with enough force to slam her against a nearby wall. He ground his teeth when the badger roughly nudged her motionless body with his foot. 

Nick started to look away when the tiger spoke again. “I know this is hard to watch, but I need you to see the next part.”

The raccoon and wolves poured out of the elevator. Nick inhaled sharply when they moved closer to the camera and carried the fox into view. Nick’s voice sounded tired when he spoke. “I’d recognize that jacket anywhere. I’m fairly certain the fox is my dad, John Wilde.”

 

_ Nick asked to see the footage of the getaway vehicle, and then he spoke to the tiger about the case. He didn’t care about any of it, though. Nick needed something, anything, to keep him from thinking about how helpless he felt as he waited for Judy to come out of emergency surgery. _

_ Finally, the rhino nurse came in and chased the tiger away. _

 

The nurse stepped next to the bed and looked at Nick. “They’ll be bringing her back to her room shortly.” Nick started to get out of bed and the rhino gently held him down. “Whoa, hold on there… where do you think you’re going?”

“I have to see her.”

“Keep your pants on. Well, once I help you get ‘em on first. Her parents are here, and you don’t want them seeing your tail end flapping in the breeze…” she trailed off when Nick gave her an annoyed look. “What, no sense of humor today?” Nick shook his head.

“Ok, well, first things first. It’s time for that IV to come out, and after that, we need to get you cleaned up and dressed.”

 

_ Mr. and Mrs. Hopps were waiting in Judy’s room when Nick limped through the door. He couldn’t help but smile when they cordially greeted him before fussing over his bruises and broken arm as they waited. _

_ When the orderly finally wheeled an unconscious Judy into the room, the attending physician arrived to update them on her condition. Nick tried to listen to the quokka while he told them about the surgery to repair her fractured pelvis and cracked vertebrae, as well as the damage to various organs, but once Nick heard that Judy was stable, all he could focus on was her sleeping face. _

_ Nick felt a sickening sense of  _ _ déjà vu  _ _ when he looked at Judy in the hospital bed, before his fear turned to anger. Anger at Judy, for not being more careful. How dare she come so close to dying and leaving his life forever? And then he felt shame and anger at himself for being so selfish. _

_ His attention snapped back to the doctor when Mrs. Hopps asked if Judy would fully recover. The quokka said that Judy’s spinal cord appeared to be undamaged. Nick noticed the doctor hesitate before he said that Judy had other internal injuries, but none of them were life-threatening. He and the other doctors were cautiously optimistic, but they wouldn’t know the extent of her injuries for sure until she woke up. _

_Later that day the nurse arrived and scolded Nick for missing lunch right after Judy woke up. Her parents crowded around the groggy rabbit,_ _so Nick didn’t get a chance to speak to her before the nurse dragged Nick back to his room where he distractedly picked at his dinner._

_ That evening, Nick convinced the lion guarding his door, Officer Fangmeyer, to stay put while he visited Judy. Her room was just a few doors away, and the lion could still keep an eye on things from where he was. She was asleep when he snuck into her room and sat by the bed. _

 

Nick watched Judy’s face as he scratched under his cast with a pencil. Her ears twitched and she smiled.

“Stop scratching under your sweaty cast with the nurse’s pencil. It’s gross.”

Nick stopped and chuckled. “Sorry, Carrots.”

She opened one eye and looked at him. “I’m not sure if it’s sweet or creepy that you’re watching me sleep.”

Nick gave her a sly look. “I can’t stop looking at those cute little twitchy bunny ears of yours. Do you know how hard it is to resist touching them?”

“Keep your paws to yourself, mister.” She laughed and then scrunched up her face. “Ohhh, ouch. No more jokes, it’s too painful when I laugh.” She opened both eyes and sleepily looked at Nick. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in your room resting?”

He leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling so she couldn’t see his face. “That rhino nurse threatened to put me in restraints if she caught me sneaking around, so I figured I’d find out if she’s kidding or not. Besides, this is my only chance to sit and stare at you without your parents around.” He paused for a moment before he spoke again, all joviality gone from his voice. “I was really worried about you, Judy.”

“I’m doing fine. See?” She nodded at her foot and wiggled her toes. “You don’t--” She stopped speaking when she saw that Nick had flattened his ears against his head. “Hey… you ok?“

Nick looked at Judy, his eyes filled with tears. He started to get up, but Judy shook her head and spoke as she reached out for him. “Oh no you don’t.” She gently pulled him into an awkward hug. “No fighting the bunny hug. I’m in no condition to chase you across the room right now.”

 

_ Nick wept, his shoulders shaking while they quietly held each other. After a few minutes he calmed down and tried to pull away, but Judy refused to let go of his left paw. He smiled and slouched into his chair. Nick tried to wipe his eyes, but his cast got in the way. _

_ Judy listened while he poured out all the jumbled thoughts in his head. He told her about the dream he’d had, and how empty he felt when he thought he’d lost her, only to feel it again ten times worse when he heard she’d been attacked. He talked about all the guilt he still felt about his mom. Finally, he told her that he was pretty sure that the fox Judy saw being attacked was his dad. _

 

Judy’s ears drooped. “I’m sorry, Nick.”

“For what?”

“That I didn’t stop them from taking your dad.”

Nick snorted before he spoke. “Are you kidding? I’m angry that he almost got you… that you got hurt because of him.” He faced her and looked into her eyes. “Look, you’re more like family to me than he ever was.” He slouched back into the chair again. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m supposed to be here for you, not turning into a… a crying mess.”

“Thank you, Nick, for talking to me and telling me all this. I really mean it.” Judy smiled and yawned. “You had way too much pent up emotion for one dumb fox to keep inside.”

 

_ The nurse laughed at Nick the next day when he threatened to go on a hunger strike if he couldn’t eat meals with Judy, but in the end, the fox got his way. Nick was able to get one of the officers to bring him the latest updated case files for the missing foxes, which he knew was the perfect way to distract Judy from prying into his personal life further. _

_ There were no badgers or raccoons on the full list of suspects they had compiled, and none of the wolves on the list matched the descriptions of wolves in the hospital security footage. _

_ Two days later, Nick went to see Judy before he checked out of the hospital. There was still no sign of Eddie, his dad, or the kidnappers. _

 

“You’re not gonna believe this, but someone filed a missing mammal report on my dad.”

“Seriously? Who?”

“Some vixen he was living with. The thing is, he was using an assumed name; he was going by the name Jack Rosso.” Nick looked uncomfortable as he continued. “She said he disappeared after telling her he was coming to the hospital, to visit his… well, to visit me.” Judy started to speak, but he interrupted her. “There’s more. Apparently they had a kit together. I can’t believe it… my dad is old enough to be a grampa, and he has an eight year old kit.”

He looked at Judy, a grim determined look she’d never seen before on his face. “Anyway, I’ve got two foxes and a badger to find.”

“Hey, you’ve got something on your face.” She motioned for him to lean over so she could wipe it off, and pulled him closer to kiss him on the cheek and hug him.

Nick smiled and hugged her back. “Sly bunny.”

“Please, Nick, promise me you’ll be careful. And keep me updated?”

He nodded. “I will.”

  
  


_ Nick came to visit Judy off and on, until six weeks later, when he went to the hospital to get his cast removed. He dropped by to visit Judy, just as a rabbit doctor Nick had never seen before was leaving her room. Judy’s ears drooped and she looked like she had been crying. _

 

“What’s wrong, Carrots?”

“Nothing.”

“Wow, it must be serious, if you won’t--”

“Why do you always expect me to tell you what’s wrong when you hide your feelings from me all the time?”

“Whoa, hey, slow down… should I come back later?”

“No.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just not ready to talk about it.”

“Fair enough.”

Her ears perked up slightly. “How’s the case going?”

“Terrible. No new leads, no bodies, nothing. The trail is cold. Bogo called me back to the precinct, so I’ll just have to keep looking when I get time.” He sat in the chair next to her bed. “Speaking of the precinct, that reminds me, I took JJ to work… wait, lemme back up. JJ is my dad’s kit, you know, the eight year old? Anyway, his mom asked me if I could take him to work, as part of a school project since his dad… well, my… our dad is still missing.”

Judy’s ears swiveled towards the fox. “Really?”

Nick grinned. “I was… extremely hesitant, but he was great. He’s so well behaved, nothing like I was at his age. And we had a blast. I took his prints, put him in lockup, we tested out the riot gear… he really is a good kid. Everyone around the station loved him.”

Judy’s face broke into a wide grin. “Well look at you, spending time with your little brother.”

“When I took him home, he hugged me and said… he wanted to be an officer someday, too. Like me. It’s weird, I’ve never had anyone look up to me before.”

“Hey, I look up to you. Though I wouldn’t, if I was just a little taller.”

Nick laughed. “I really am a bad influence on you.”

“Took you long enough to notice.” She smiled. “I’m glad you’re spending time with him.”

“Me too.” Nick winked at her. “Plus it’s good practice for when I get to be Uncle Nick to your kits.”

The change in Judy’s demeanor was dramatic as she immediately burst into tears. Nick frantically rushed over and sat on the bed next to her.

“What… what did I say? Judy, what’s wrong?” Judy sobbed and shook her head. “Hey, don’t be like me. Tell me what it is.”

Judy stuttered out a quick laugh through her tears. She cried for a few more seconds before she could speak.

“After the attack… I’m sterile, Nick. I can never have any kits of my own.”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

_ The weeks stretched into months before Judy was released from the hospital, and the months stretched into years before she had fully recovered. Nick continued to look for his missing father and Eddie, but no new leads surfaced. The trail went cold, leaving the murders and missing fox cases unsolved. _

_ Five years after that fateful day when Judy first got the idea to find a vixen for Nick, the fox and rabbit met in their favorite coffee shop before the start of the morning shift. _

 

Nick gulped down half his blueberry muffin in one bite. “I bet we’ll get stuck babysitting at the Kind With Kind protests again today.”

Judy took a sip of coffee and shook her head. “I hate KWK protests. I can’t believe there are mammals in Zootopia with such backward attitudes. They’re even pushing to pass laws making interspecies relationships illegal.”

Nick winked at Judy. “We’d better watch out if they do. Mammals might get the wrong idea about us.”

“Pfft, everybody knows I’m too much rabbit for any fox to handle.”

“Speaking of too much to handle, didn’t you have a date last Friday?”

“Yeah, it’s not working out.

“Really?”

Judy sighed. “He decided he wants kids someday. Talk about irony. And he’s a mara, so we couldn’t have kids, even if I could.”

“Aren’t maras some kind of big rabbit?”

She gave him an annoyed look. “No, they’re a… distant rodent relative. In a totally different order.” She took a sip of coffee. “What’d you do this weekend?”

“Not much. Oh, I did go to JJ’s track meet. That kid can seriously run. He’s still thinking about being a cop, so I’ll have to teach him how to slack off and avoid paperwork… “ Nick trailed off when he noticed Judy wasn’t paying attention. Instead, she was looking at a familiar porcupine and lynx couple sitting at a nearby table. “You ok? You seem distracted today, Carrots.”

Judy turned to smile at Nick before she sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to zone out.” She gave the couple another worried glance. “I hope those two don’t get harassed by the KWK too much. They’ve been coming here for, what, five years now? They obviously figured things out, so why should they be punished? Relationships are tough enough without other mammals butting in and making them harder.”

Nick nodded. “Whatever the magic relationship voodoo is, they seem to have figured it out.”

Judy sipped her coffee. “It feels like I keep making the same mistakes over and over. I still always rush into things, especially relationships.”

“That’s why we make such good partners. Luckily I have enough patience for both of us.”

Judy stretched across the table in an attempt to punch Nick in the arm, but the fox slid out of the way.

“Too slow, Officer Fluff.”

While Nick took a long noisy slurp of coffee, Judy stole the rest of his muffin. She quickly stuffed it in her mouth as he set his cup down.

Trying to hide his grin, Nick glared at her and growled softly. “I’ve bitten mammals for less, little bunny.”

Judy finished chewing and swallowed before she bared her teeth and declared, “Bring it, fox.”

Nick slapped his knee and laughed. “If that’s your scary face, I can’t even imagine what your cute face looks like.” He got up and started to walk to the front counter. “Since somebunny pilfered my muffin, I’d better get something else so I don’t starve later. Can I get you anything, before I come back and arrest you for grand theft muffin?”

Judy pulled out her phone and looked at it while she spoke. “I know you won’t because you’re too lazy to fill out all the paperwork.”

Nick laughed. “Touch é , Carrots.”

Judy looked pensive for a moment. “Actually, you can get me something… how about you get lost for awhile? That'd be great.”

Nick smirked as he walked by her on the way to the front counter. “You’re so cute when you’re angry.” He tousled her ears and she half-heartedly punched him in the kidney. Nick scowled. “Ow. Careful Carrots, I’ll need that later, with all that coffee I drank earlier.”

 

_ Judy got up to stretch her legs and the porcupine nervously approached her. She felt an odd sense of  _ _ déjà vu when the porcupine handed her a flier for an interspecies rights rally. _

_ As the couple walked away, Judy heard the lynx say something jarring, just a few words that reminded her of the conversation between her and Nick five years earlier. She wasn’t sure why, but Judy shed a tear after she remembered the odd feeling she had back then, when she let the fear of rejection shape her words. Except at that moment, she glanced over at Nick waiting in line and felt something worse. Now she felt the pain of regret. _

_ Nick came back, just in time to see the couple leave. He spotted the flier gripped tightly in Judy’s hand and misunderstood why she looked so upset. _

 

“Don’t worry Carrots. Somebody will come along and fix things eventually.” Nick handed her a carrot muffin in a small paper bag. “In the meantime, I know one country bunny and one handsome fox who have to get back to making the world a better place, one day at a time.”

 

***

 

_ Because of one rabbit’s fear, is this world a better place? Without little flying bunnies, angry wolverines, carrot straight pins and emotional foxes, did the pains avoided make up for the losses? Perhaps the breath of a few kind words, at the right place and at the right time, would have ignited that tiny ember so long ago. _

_ Imagine if five years earlier, Judy hadn’t let her fear choose her words for her. Instead, what if she’d said the words she intended to say; the very same words she’d just heard from the lynx? _

 

_ “Those two make a cute couple.” _


	7. Bonus Addendum

 

First I want to again thank UmbraTsuki ([ Nokusu ](https://www.reddit.com/user/Nokusu) on reddit) for all the proofreading help, and point people at UmbraTsuki’s awesome stories. I know the ending wasn't what folks were expecting, so if it left you feeling empty, go check out my next story, _Judy Jumps in Headfirst_. I promise it will set the world right again.

 

I just realized, I should have titled this story, “The Badger Strikes Back” or maybe “Revenge of the Badger”.

 

This story was tough to write, especially the last two chapters. Writing it made me feel like I unraveled my favorite sweater and then reused the yarn to make some scratchy socks that I hate. If this story bugs you too much, think of it as an alternate universe to my first two stories, and enjoy them even more now that you know what the frightening alternative is.

 

I realize this story is a confusing one, but I got the idea stuck in my head to write a “what if?” story, with the premise being, “what would happen if Nick and Judy hadn’t started developing romantic feelings for each other early on in my first story?” I know, I know, all the shippers out there hate me now, but not as much as I hate myself. I’m one too, which I have to say made it really tough for me to write this, as I stripped away each thing they had together, starting with Holly. In the end I had to write it though, because there were so many comments lamenting each terrible event that befell our favorite fox and bunny couple in my previous stories. That’s right, I’m blaming you, the readers, for this story. Plus I made the dumb decision to post the first chapter before I was done writing the whole thing, and people started reading it and liking it, so I didn’t have any choice but to finish it.

 

Nick and Judy mostly avoided the forest fire in this story, but was it worth it? (The answer, in my biased opinion, is “No”) The best stories have forest fires, which leave room for new growth afterwards. If nothing else, I do think it was a great writing exercise. I hope other writers will consider the effect that changing this one event had on character growth (or lack thereof).

 

I initially was going to have Judy get an STI which would lead to an infection (PID) that made her sterile, but Judy battling a sexually transmitted infection wasn’t exactly a compelling story (plus I can just imagine the seething mass of angry readers I would have gotten over that).

 

I don’t know why I keep writing these. Probably because as I write, I come up with ideas for even more stories in the amazing universe of Zootopia. I swear I have other things I should be working on, but it isn’t impossible that I could write more fanfic in the future.


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